FEELING GOOD AND BELIEVING IN THEIR SHOTS
With Ginebra trailing Barako Bull 90-93 in regulation on Friday, Mark Caguioa nailed a pass to an open Chris Ellis on the left wing, and the electrifying sophomore willingly hit the three-pointer to knot the score at 93 with seven seconds still on the clock.
“It felt pretty good, just like every shot I took tonight,” Ellis said after the game.
But as the match went to overtime, it was obvious that the Kings already owned the momentum and as the final buzzer sounded, Ginebra had the win in the bag, 108-104.
Alongside import Leon Rodgers, Ellis carried the Barangay to its first win in the 2014 PBA Commissioner’s Cup with 17 points and seven rebounds, but what’s most impressive in his statline was his efficient shooting from the field, going 3-of-4 from rainbow country and 7-of-10 overall.
But despite the win, the reigning Slam Dunk king opted to look at their points of improvement, saying, “We could’ve done a better job defending their import, but we came out with the win.”
“We were able to hit open shots and we were able to move the ball. I think we had 26 assists, because we had big men who are willing to pass and LA (Tenorio) is back to his passing ways,” he said.
Ellis said there was nothing special in his game-tying basket, and bared that the shot was a result of constant shooting routines in practice.
“Nothing’s going through my mind,” Ellis said. “We practice that everyday. It becomes a second nature type of thing. You just had to let it go.”
He added, “When you have to take a shot and think too much, that’s when you miss a shot. All of our players and coaches emphasize catch-and-shoot, and be confident in our shots. It’s just a mental thing. We’re trying to have a good time, trying to have the muscle memory down. We just work out everyday on our consistency.”
Another dimension in Ginebra’s arsenal which was very evident in the game was its spacing and ball movement, thanks to the plays implemented by assistant coach Juno Sauler, the same plays which netted the La Salle Green Archers the most recent UAAP crown.
“We got a lot of fluidity in our ball movement, and I think our offense emphasizes on our strengths. We have a lot of shooters,” Ellis said. “In the past, we had a lot of stagnant plays, and now we’re moving without the ball. Right now, I think we got the right pieces and it’s all going to be better.
“Just being able to have a guy like our import and playing with the guys for a long time, we were able to play on our strengths and also my strengths. Early in my career, they wanted me to slash and get to the basket, but I’m trying to show them that I am a shooter, and it’s good that my teammates trust me and trust everybody else.
“Whoever is open, we’ll find him and we believe that he will hit the shot. We’re playing with confidence, and all of our shots, we feel good about them.” (RL)
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